(Sunday, December 12th) Final Score: Atlanta 35, Oakland 10
Atlanta, GA (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering)
- T.J. Duckett was a
load the Raiders couldn't handle on Sunday, rushing
for a franchise-high
four touchdowns in a 35-10 rout of Oakland at the
Georgia Dome. The victory
clinched the NFC South for the Falcons, who rebounded
from last weekend's
debacle in Tampa.
The Falcons clinched a division crown for the first
time since the 1998
campaign, when they won their last nine games of
the regular season and
eventually lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl
XXXIII.
Duckett ran for 65 yards on 12 carries and Michael
Vick ended 13-of-20 for
145 yards, as Atlanta (10-3) bounced back from a
27-0 drubbing to the
Buccaneers. Warrick Dunn recorded 103 yards on the
ground and Rod Coleman
returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown
in the win. The Falcons
have won five of their last six games and will host
the Carolina Panthers
next Saturday night.
Kerry Collins threw for 166 yards on 14-of-28 passing
with an interception
for the Raiders (4-9), who have lost three of their
last four games. Oakland
hosts the Tennessee Titans next Sunday.
Oakland scored first courtesy of Sebastian Janikowski's
52-yard field goal
with 4:59 left in the opening quarter. Janikowski
capped a 16-play, 64-yard
drive with his longest field goal of the season.
The Falcons would take the lead for good in the
second quarter on Duckett's
28-yard touchdown run at the 8:47 mark. It was Duckett's
longest TD run of
his career. Allen Rossum's 50-yard punt return set
up the score and gave
Atlanta excellent field position.
After Oakland running back J.R. Redmond fumbled
on an 18-yard gain, the
Falcons marched 65 yards in nine plays and made
it 14-3 on Duckett's
two-yard TD run with 2:11 left before halftime.
Atlanta defensive end Travis Hall deflected a Collins
pass late in the
second quarter and Coleman caught the ball in the
air. Coleman then rumbled
39 yards for a touchdown and a 21-3 Atlanta lead
with 1:14 left in the half.
Duckett's third rushing touchdown of the day --
a four-yard plunge -- staked
the Falcons to a 28-3 cushion with 5:31 to go in
the third quarter. The TD,
which was highlighted by Ray Buchanan's defensive
penalty, ended a 17-play
drive that covered 67 yards in 9:29.
With exactly nine minutes remaining in the game,
Duckett found the end zone
again, this time from a yard out, for a 35-3 score.
The Michigan State
product capped a 14-play, 90-yard drive in 7:40.
Oakland reached the end zone on Zack Crockett's
one-yard touchdown run with
3:27 remaining in the game. The Raiders drove 71
yards in four plays before
completing the scoring on Crockett's burst through
the left side of the
line.
Game Notes
Raiders wide receiver Ronald Curry, who had nine
catches for a career-high
141 yards and two touchdowns, was lost for the season
last weekend in a loss
to Kansas City with a torn Achilles' tendon...The
Falcons hosted the Raiders
for the first time since the 1997 season when the
Raiders escaped the
Georgia Dome with a 36-31 win. The teams last met
in Oakland in 2000 with
the Raiders winning, 41-14...Atlanta improved to
6-1 at home this season,
while the Raiders fell to 2-5 on the road...The
Falcons have three division
titles in their history...Redmond had 50 yards on
six touches.
Final Score: Buffalo 37, Cleveland 7
Orchard Park, NY (Wager On Football - NFL
Wagering) - Willis McGahee ran for 105
yards and two
touchdowns to lead Buffalo over Cleveland, 37-7,
at a snowy Ralph Wilson
Stadium.
Drew Bledsoe completed 12-of-27 passes for 100
yards with a touchdown and an
interception for the red-hot Bills (7-6), who have
won seven of their last
nine games since an 0-4 start.
Luke McCown was 8-of-20 for just 62 yards with
one touchdown and two
interceptions for the Browns (3-10), who dropped
their seventh straight.
Cleveland tallied only 17 yards of total net offense
and turned the ball
over five times.
The NFL record for least amount of yards is negative
seven set by Seattle in
1979, but the mark was still good enough to set
a Bills' franchise record
for least yards allowed.
The Bills trailed 7-3, but outscored the Browns
14-0 in the second quarter
and they cruised to the victory. Nate Clements recovered
a William Green
fumble at the Cleveland 23 and four plays later,
Lee Evans hauled in a
seven- yard score from Bledsoe to give the Bills
a 10-7 advantage with 9:39
left in the frame.
Then, with just 2:57 remaining in the second, the
Bills took a 17-7 lead
courtesy of a 13-yard touchdown run by McGahee to
cap off a 10-play, 52-yard
possession.
At the intermission, the Cleveland offense only
had two yards of total net
offense, along with three turnovers.
Lindell accounted for the sole points of the third
via a 21-yard field goal
to give the Bills a 20-7 lead heading into the final
frame.
Buffalo continued to dominate the fourth with 17
more unanswered points.
Just 11 seconds in, McGahee ran in from six yards
out, Lindell booted a
37-yard field goal with 10:53 left and Shaud Williams
capped it off with a
four-yard TD run with 2:01 remaining.
Even though the two cities are separated by 190
miles of highway along the
Lake Erie shoreline, the Browns played in Buffalo
for the first time since
1986.
The Bills opened the scoring on a 23-yard field
goal by Lindell with 9:11
left in the first quarter. Bledsoe ignited the nine-play,
42-yard drive with
a 24- yard pass to Eric Moulds.
With 1:45 remaining in the opening frame, Cleveland
took a 7-3 edge on a
three-yard touchdown catch by Dennis Northcutt.
The score was setup by a 24-
yard interception return by Lewis Sanders down to
the Bills' 39.
Cornerback Troy Vincent made an impact in his return
to the lineup for the
Bills. The former Eagle, who has not played since
having arthroscopic knee
surgery after getting hurt against New England on
October 3, posted an
interception, a fumble recovery and a sack.
Jeff Garcia came in at quarterback for the Browns
in a possession that
bridged the third and fourth quarters, but was carted
off the field with a
left knee injury.
Game Notes
Cleveland holds a 7-5 advantage in its all-time
regular season series with
Buffalo, but has lost in its last three meetings
with the Bills...The Bills
are 6-0 when McGahee runs for over 100 yards...The
Browns have allowed over
200 yards rushing in three straight games...It was
the first career TD for
Williams.
Final Score: Jacksonville 22, Chicago 3
Jacksonville, FL (Wager On Football - NFL
Wagering) - Byron Leftwich threw a pair
of touchdown
passes to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 22-3
victory over the Chicago
Bears at Alltel Stadium.
Leftwich completed 25-of-45 passes for 242 yards
with an interception, as
the Jaguars (7-6) snapped a three-game losing streak
to keep their AFC
playoff hopes alive. Jacksonville must play for
a wild card spot after
Indianapolis clinched the AFC South on Sunday.
Fred Taylor ran for 79 yards on 21 carries for
the Jaguars, who outgained
the Bears 332-210.
Chicago managed just 31 yards rushing, and the
offense couldn't find the end
zone one week after a surprising 24-14 win over
Minnesota. The Bears (5-8)
have lost three of their last four.
Chad Hutchinson, who threw for three scores in
his first start for the Bears
last week, had just six yards passing in the first
quarter and finished the
contest 17-of-33 for 212 yards with an interception.
After five three and outs to start the game, the
Jaguars mounted the first
sustained drive midway through the first quarter.
Leftwich moved the Jacksonville offense from its
own 27 to the Chicago 12
with three completions and a key 18-yard run from
Taylor. An illegal contact
penalty on a third-down incompletion prolonged the
series and Leftwich made
it count with a six-yard touchdown pass to Reggie
Williams for a 7-0 lead
late in the opening quarter.
The Bears didn't manage a first down until a 45-yard
pass from Hutchinson to
Thomas Jones early in the second quarter. After
three plays netted eight
more yards, Paul Edinger missed a 47-yard field
goal.
Jacksonville then had a 33-yard touchdown pass
from Leftwich to Todd Yoder
negated by a holding penalty and eventually punted.
Chicago then reached the Jacksonville 35, but a
one-yard loss and eight-yard
sack pushed the Bears back, and Edinger punted out
of field goal formation
to pin the Jaguars inside their own 15.
The strategy paid off, as the Jags went three-and-out
and the punt gave
Chicago the ball at midfield.
A 38-yard pass to Bernard Berrian on the first
play put the Bears at the
Jacksonville 12, but a sack on 3rd-and-8 forced
Chicago into a 42-yard field
goal try that Edinger drilled to make it a 7-3 game
just 1:44 before the
break.
The Jaguars still had time and drove from their
32 to the Chicago 12 before
settling for a 30-yard field goal by Josh Scobee
to head into the
intermission with a 10-3 advantage.
Jacksonville tacked on three more points on a 25-yard
field goal by Scobee
with 5:36 to play in the third quarter. The Jaguars
caught a break during
the drive when a fumble recovery by Chicago's Brian
Urlacher was nullified
by a roughing the passer penalty against Charles
Tillman.
The Bears then drove to the Jacksonville 38 after
Hutchinson completed
passes of 14 and 23 yards, but 15 yards worth of
penalties forced another
punt.
The Jaguars followed with a march past midfield,
but had to punt and pinned
the Bears inside their own five.
Hutchinson dropped back to pass on the first play,
but was sacked in the end
zone by linebacker Daryl Smith for a safety to make
it a 15-3 game.
After the free kick, the Jaguars drove 61 yards
on seven plays for the game-
sealing touchdown. Jimmy Smith made a diving catch
in the end zone on a 3rd-
and-27 play for the 31-yard score and a 22-3 edge
with 9:26 remaining.
Game Notes
Smith finished with six catches for 85 yards...Jones
led Chicago with 26
yards rushing on 13 carries and also caught three
passes for 68 yards...The
Bears made their first visit to Jacksonville since
October 15, 1995 -- a
30-27 Chicago victory. The all-time series is even
at 2-2.
Final Score: New England 35, Cincinnati
28
Foxboro, MA (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering)
- Tom Brady went 18-of-26 for 260 yards
with
two touchdowns to lead New England to a 35-28 win
over Cincinnati at
Gillette Stadium.
Corey Dillon, who played against his former team
for the first time, rushed
for 88 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown for
the Patriots (12-1), who
have won six straight games since having their NFL-record,
21-game winning
streak stopped by Pittsburgh in Week 8.
Dillon played with the Bengals from 1997-2003 and
owns or shares 18 team
records, including the club's all-time leading rushing
mark (8,061).
New England played just one day after learning
that offensive coordinator
Charlie Weis has reportedly accepted the head coaching
job at Notre Dame.
Weis, who will receive a six-year contract worth
nearly $2 million per
season, will replace Tyrone Willingham, who was
recently fired following
three seasons at the helm.
Weis, who is expected to finish out the season
with the Patriots, graduated
from Notre Dame in 1978, but did not play for the
football team. He would be
the first alum to coach in South Bend since Hugh
Devore in 1963.
The win clinched a playoff spot for the Patriots
and they can win the AFC
East with a New York Jets loss to Pittsburgh.
Carson Palmer completed 18-of-24 passes for 202
yards with two touchdowns
and an interception before exiting with an injury
for the Bengals (6-7), who
had their two-game winning streak halted.
Palmer left the game in the third quarter with
a left knee sprain after
being hit by Richard Seymour. Palmer stayed down
momentarily and was
eventually able to walk into the locker room under
his own power and
underwent x-rays to determine the extent of the
injury.
Jon Kitna filled in for Palmer and ended 9-of-13
for 126 yards with a
touchdown and an interception, while T.J. Houshmandzadeh
caught 12 passes
for 145 yards in the loss.
The Bengals took the game's opening kickoff and
marched effortlessly down
the field. The drive got down to New England's 12-yard
line before Rudi
Johnson was hit and fumbled the ball. After a skirmish
on the field, Willie
McGinest came up with the ball for the Patriots.
The play was reviewed, but
the call was upheld and New England took over.
On the ensuing series, the Patriots proceeded to
march downfield before
being faced with a 4th-and-inches from the Bengals'
20-yard line. They
elected to go for it and the move paid off as Dillon
ran behind Seymour's
block and picked up three yards for the first down.
Six plays later, Dillon scored from one yard out
to make it 7-0 with 5:08
left in the first quarter. Brady passed for 54 yards
and Dillon added 28 on
the ground during the 13-play, 84-yard drive.
The score marked the 18th straight game, including
playoffs, that New
England has scored first, which extended their NFL
record.
The Bengals tied the score at 7-7 on Palmer's two-yard
touchdown pass to
Matt Schobel with 10:03 left in the second quarter.
Cincinnati took
advantage of a short field after the Patriots were
forced to punt from deep
in their own territory and found the end zone in
11 plays to knot the game.
New England gained the lead back moments later
as Brady connected with a
wide open David Patten over the middle of the field
for a 48-yard touchdown
to make it 14-7.
Patten ended with 107 receiving yards on five catches.
On the Bengals' first play following the score,
Palmer threw a pass to the
right sideline that was intended for Houshmandzadeh.
Asante Samuel, though,
stepped in front of the errant pass where he intercepted
it and raced
untouched for a 34-yard touchdown to make it 21-7
with 8:19 left in the
half.
Cincinnati would not go away and answered with
a 69-yard drive before Palmer
capped it with a five-yard strike to Chad Johnson.
The score brought the
Bengals within 21-14 with 2:31 left in the half.
New England, though, countered with a touchdown
just before the half as
Kevin Faulk scored on a four-yard run to make it
28-14.
The Patriots continued where they left off in the
first half as they began
the third quarter with an 11-play, 75-yard drive.
Brady, who was 6-of-7 for
55 yards on the series, capped the drive with a
17-yard touchdown pass to
Christian Fauria to widen the gap to 35-14.
The Bengals got closer late in the third quarter
as they used a bit of
trickery to get into the end zone. On fourth down,
Cincinnati looked like it
was going to attempt a field goal, but Kyle Larson
took the hold and kept
the ball where he ran for an 11-yard score to cut
the gap to 35-21 with 3:10
remaining in the third.
After New England punted, the Bengals took over
with Kitna under the helm
when Palmer left the game with the injury. Kitna
engineered a successful
drive and marched his club inside the 10-yard line,
but was intercepted in
the end zone by Troy Brown to halt an excellent
scoring opportunity.
Following another Patriots punt, Cincinnati got
the ball back with around
six minutes left in the game. This time Kitna was
able to finish off the
drive as he hit Kelley Washington for a 27-yard
score to cut the deficit to
35-28 with 3:50 left in the game. The drive went
61 yards and the Bengals
needed only five plays to pull within one score.
The Patriots then took over deep in their territory
after Cincinnati elected
not to try an onside kick. The Bengals had two timeouts
and there was just
over 3 1/2 minutes left, but it was not enough as
New England picked up
three first downs to seal the win.
Game
Notes - The Patriots have won 18
straight at home, including the playoffs...Brady
is 34-4 as the starter after November 1 in
his career...Patten has a
team-leading seven touchdown receptions this
year...Brown is tied for the team lead with
three interceptions...The Patriots scored
their fourth
defensive TD of the season...Dillon had rushed
for at least 98 yards in seven straight games...New
England has won 31 straight games when leading
at halftime...Johnson rushed for 89 yards
while Chad Johnson caught five passes for
80 yards in the loss...New England leads the
all-time series 11-8 and
has won four of the past five.
Final Score: Baltimore 37, NY Giants 14
Baltimore, MD (Wager On Football - NFL
Wagering) - Kyle Boller threw a career-high
four
touchdown passes and Matt Stover kicked three field
goals, as Baltimore
rolled over the New York Giants, 37-14, at M&T
Bank Stadium
Boller completed 18-of-34 passes for 219 yards
with a pair of TD strikes
apiece to Todd Heap and Clarence Moore, as the Ravens
(8-5) took out last
Sunday's frustrating 27-26 loss to Cincinnati out
on a reeling Giants squad.
Chester Taylor led the ground attack with 104 yards
on 25 carries, while
Heap finished with five catches for 76 yards for
the Ravens, who dominated
New York from start to finish.
Baltimore also welcomed back running back Jamal
Lewis, who was back in the
starting lineup after missing the last two weeks
with a sprained right
ankle. Last year's rushing champion carried the
ball eight times for 32
yards in the win.
Eli Manning, who was under constant pressure all
day, completed just 4-of-18
passes for 27 yards with two interceptions and a
fumble for the struggling
Giants, (5-8) who have dropped six straight after
starting the season 5-2.
Osi Umenyiora returned a fumble for a touchdown,
while Tiki Barber added a
short TD run in the loss as the Giants turned the
ball over six times on the
day. Barber accounted for two lost fumbles.
Kurt Warner came in during garbage time and ended
6-of-9 passing for 127
yards for New York, which saw its slim playoffs
hopes all but fade away.
Warner, the starter for the first nine games of
the year, played for the
first time since being benched in favor of Manning
after a loss to Arizona
on November 14.
The Giants got off to an inauspicious start as
Derrick Ward fumbled the
game's opening kickoff and Edgerton Hartwell recovered
for the Ravens at the
New York 26.
Baltimore capitalized on the early turnover as
Boller hooked up with Moore
for a 12-yard scoring strike and a 7-0 lead less
then three minutes into the
contest.
On its ensuing possession, New York turned the
ball over once again. This
time Barber's lost fumble was pounced on by Marques
Douglas, giving the
Ravens great field position on the Giants' 28-yard
line. Three plays later,
Stover kicked a 46-yard field goal, staking the
Ravens to a 10-0 cushion
with 9:01 remaining in the first quarter.
The misery continued for the Giants on their following
series. Manning
showed his inexperience, throwing an ill-advised
pass intended for Amani
Toomer that was easily picked off by Gary Baxter.
However, Baltimore came
away with no points and the Giants were able to
get out of the first quarter
without further harm on the scoreboard.
The Ravens, though, took control of the game midway
through the second.
Boller orchestrated a nine-play, 87-yard drive
that culminated in a six-yard
touchdown pass to Heap, making it 17-0 with 7:05
left in the first half.
New York's defense momentarily came to life late
in the second stanza. Faced
with a 4th-and-5 from the Giants' 34-yard line,
Baltimore elected to go for
the first down instead of attempting a 51-yard field
goal. The play
backfired as Reggie Torbor sacked Boller, forcing
a fumble that was
recovered by Umenyiora, who returned the ball 50
yards for a score, trimming
the deficit to 17-7 with 2:43 left in the first
half.
However, Baltimore put the game away by closing
out the half with 10
unanswered points. Boller got things started by
hooking up with Moore for an
eight-yard touchdown toss, making it 24-7 just 21
seconds before the break.
The Giants attempted to mount a drive late in the
half as the team was
desperate for any type of offense. But in a microcosm
of New York's day, a
costly turnover proved to be the Giants' demise.
This time Manning was picked off by Ed Reed, setting
up Stover's 44-yard
boot, staking the Ravens to a comfortable 24-7 cushion
as both teams headed
into the locker room.
The Ravens continued to pour it on against an overmatched
Giants squad in
the third.
Stover booted a 27-yard field goal midway through
the stanza, while Heap
later hauled in a one-yard touchdown pass as the
lead grew to 37-7 heading
into the fourth quarter.
Warner came in during mop-up duty and led the Giants
into the end zone late.
Barber capped a quick six-play, 78-yard drive with
a one-yard TD plunge for
the final margin.
Warner was 3-of-3 and accounted for 72 yards passing
during the series.
Prior to Warner's entrance, the Giants managed just
58 total yards of
offense behind Manning.
Game Notes
Entering the game, Barber had fumbled just once
all season...The Ravens won
the only previous regular-season matchup against
the Giants, prevailing by a
24-23 count at the Meadowlands in 1997. The teams
also met in Super Bowl
XXXV -- a 34-7 Ravens victory...Jim Fassel, who
coached the Giants from
1997-2003, including that Super Bowl appearance,
is now a senior consultant
with the Ravens...New York linebacker Barrett Green
left the game in the
second quarter with a sprained knee and linebacker
Nick Greisen suffered a
left ankle injury. Neither player returned to the
game...Reed's interception
was his eighth of the season and it broke the single-season
record for the
Ravens. Reed and Rod Woodson each had seven in 1999.
Reed's interception
also gives him 20 for his career, tying Ray Lewis,
Woodson and Duane Starks
for most in franchise history.
Final Score: New Orleans 27, Dallas 13
Irving, TX (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering)
- Deuce McAllister delivered a four-yard
touchdown run and Joe Horn added a 31-yard TD catch,
as the New Orleans
Saints scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth
quarter to earn a 27-13 win
over Dallas at Texas Stadium.
McAllister, who finished with 83 yards on 30 carries,
ran for two scores for
the Saints (5-8), who snapped a three-game losing
streak and won for just
the third time in their last 10 games. Aaron Brooks
completed 18-of-31
passes for 252 yards and a score.
Julius Jones, averaging 143 yards the last three
games, was held to only 88
rushing yards on 23 carries in this one for the
Cowboys (5-8), who had won
their last two and lost for the fourth time in their
last six games overall.
Vinny Testaverde finished with 167 yards and an
interception on 14-of-35
passes.
Cowboys running back Eddie George was inactive
for Sunday's game as a
healthy scratch and missed a game for the first
time in his NFL career.
George, in his first season with the Cowboys, has
seen limited action
recently with the emergence of Jones.
Dallas signed George, the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner,
just before training
camp after he was released by Tennessee. He has
rushed for just 424 yards
and four touchdowns with a paltry 3.3-yard average.
Donte' Stallworth caught five passes for a team-high
113 yards for New
Orleans, which snapped a 13-13 tie down the stretch
and won for the first
time at Dallas after nine straight losses.
McAllister capped an 11-play, 73-yard drive on
his scoring run with 5:21 to
go to make it 20-13. Horn caught a 14-yard pass
on third down to extend the
series.
The New Orleans defense forced a three-and-out
and Michael Lewis returned
the ensuing punt 43 yards to give the Saints possession
at the Dallas 35.
After two plays netted four yards, Brooks hit Horn
with a 31-yard pass for a
touchdown and a 14-point lead with 3:43 remaining.
The Cowboys drove from their own 14 to the New
Orleans 44, but Testaverde
was sacked and fumbled to all but seal the contest.
Billy Cundiff kicked a 34-yard field with 3:19
left in the first quarter to
put the Cowboys ahead 3-0. Jones ran for 32 yards
on the 11-play, 76-yard
drive.
Dallas went ahead 10-0 just 1:58 later on a one-yard
touchdown run by Jones.
A failed fake punt by New Orleans inside its own
40-yard line and a pass
interference penalty in the end zone on the next
play led to the score.
Brooks led the Saints to the Dallas four-yard line
on their next possession.
But his pass, intended for Horn in the end zone,
was intercepted by Lance
Frazier.
McAllister's five-yard TD run, with 5:56 to go
in the second quarter, pulled
the Saints within 10-7. Three plays earlier Mike
McKenzie intercepted a pass
to set up their three-play, 21-yard drive.
John Carney kicked a 39-yard field goal with 36
seconds left in the second
to force a 10-10 halftime tie for New Orleans. Stallworth
caught a 33-yard
pass on third down to extend the seven-play, 41-yard
series.
A 41-yard field goal by Cundiff 4:27 into the third
quarter staked Dallas to
a 13-10 edge. Roy Williams' first interception of
the season -- and 20-yard
return -- set up the six-play, 19-yard march.
Another field goal by Carney, from 44 yards, made
it 13-13 with 6:07
remaining in the third. Brooks completed three passes
for 36 yards on the
nine-play, 58- yard series.
Game Notes
Horn posted five receptions for 84 yards for the
Saints, who have won four
straight in the series...Jason Witten caught four
passes for 59 yards for
the Cowboys, who still maintain a 14-7 edge in the
all-time
series...McAllister also caught four passes for
37 yards for New Orleans,
which hasn't lost to Dallas since 1994...Saints
middle linebacker Orlando
Ruff left the game in the first quarter with a sprained
right ankle.
Final Score: Indianapolis 23, Houston 14
Houston, TX (Wager On Football - NFL Wagering)
- Peyton Manning threw a pair of touchdown
passes in the first quarter, but the Houston defense
kept the Colts out of
the end zone the rest of the way as Indianapolis
held on for a 23-14 victory
over the Texans to capture the AFC South title for
the second straight year.
Manning did set an NFL record with multiple touchdown
passes in his 13th
straight game, but the two TD throws were his fewest
since an October 3 win
at Jacksonville. He now has 46 touchdown passes
this season, two shy of Dan
Marino's single-season mark of 48 set in 1984.
Edgerrin James ran for 104 yards on 28 carries
and also caught seven passes
for 54 yards for the Colts (10-3), who have won
six straight and beat
Houston for the sixth time in as many all-time meetings.
The Texans (5-8) have lost two in a row and five
of their last six, but
vowed that Manning would not set the touchdown record
on their field after
he and the Colts embarrassed them in a 49-14 rout
on November 14 in
Indianapolis.
Manning finished the contest 26-of-33 for 298 yards
and will have a chance
to break Marino's record next week at home against
a tough Baltimore
defense.
Houston quarterback David Carr threw for 167 yards
on 16-of-21 passing with
a touchdown and an interception. He was also sacked
five times.
Domanick Davis ran for 128 yards on 23 carries
with a touchdown for the
Texans and also led the team with six catches for
73 yards.
Mike Vanderjagt kicked three second-half field
goals for the Colts,
including a pair in the fourth quarter.
The Colts extended a 17-14 lead on a 43-yard field
goal by Vanderjagt with
7:38 left. Manning drove the offense from its own
11-yard line to the
Houston 24, but the Texans stuffed a 3rd-and-1 run
by James to set up the
kick.
Houston went three-and-out and the Colts took more
than 3 1/2 minutes off
the clock, thanks to the running of James, before
Vanderjagt tacked on a
44-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining to seal the
contest.
Manning appeared as if he would set the TD pass
record on Sunday after
Indianapolis scored with relative ease on its first
two possessions.
The Colts started their first series from the Houston
37 after an
interception by Jason David and needed just seven
plays to cash in for a 7-0
lead.
James was featured on the first five plays, running
four times for 25 yards
and catching a pass for another 12. After an incomplete
pass, Manning found
Marvin Harrison in the end zone from three yards
away for the game's first
score.
Harrison, who agreed to a new contract earlier
this week, had just three
catches for 26 yards.
Indianapolis got the ball back after a punt and
Manning directed an eight-
play, 72-yard drive for another touchdown. He completed
each of his four
passes during the march and capped it with a 12-yard
scoring toss to Reggie
Wayne, giving Manning one record on the day.
Manning broke the old record of 12 consecutive
multiple touchdown pass games
he shared with Marino, Johnny Unitas, Don Meredith
and Brett Favre. Unitas
was the only one prior to Manning to do it in the
first 12 games of a season
back in 1959.
A trade of punts left the Texans with excellent
field position at the Colt
42 and Carr needed seven plays to put his team on
the board. A 16-yard pass
to Davis was followed by four straight carries by
the running back. Carr
then scrambled for seven yards to the three before
finding Jonathan Wells in
the end zone for a three-yard score to make it a
14-7 game with 8:26 left in
the half.
The Colts didn't score on their next drive, but
caught a break with a
replay. Manning was drilled by cornerback Dunta
Robinson and lost the ball
with the fumble being recovered by Houston near
its own 35. It was
originally ruled an incomplete pass, but a video
review determined that
Manning fumbled. However, because the play was whistled
dead, the Colts
retained possession and were eventually forced to
punt.
Instead of starting near the 35, the Texans began
from their own 20 and
drove to the Indianapolis 33. Carr then failed to
handle a poor shotgun snap
on third down and the Colts recovered at the 39
with 45 seconds remaining in
the half.
Indianapolis couldn't take advantage of the turnover,
but started the second
half with possession and a 34-yard pass to Brandon
Stokley led to a 30-yard
field goal by Vanderjagt for a 17-7 lead.
The Texans followed with a 74-yard drive for a
touchdown. Carr completed
each of his four passes during the nine-play march,
including a 19-yard
strike to Corey Bradford and an eight-yard hookup
with Bradford that
converted a key third down. Davis finished the series
with a darting 15-yard
touchdown run to pull Houston within 17-14.
Houston managed three first downs on its next series
before Carr was sacked
near midfield on third down to force a punt. The
Colts then put the game
away with two field goals while the Texans failed
to produce another first
down until the closing stages of the contest.
Game Notes
Davis recorded his second 100-yard game of the
year and the sixth of his
career. He also scored a touchdown for the sixth
straight game to set a team
record...Wayne led the Colts with seven catches
for 96 yards...Dwight
Freeney had three sacks for Indianapolis...The Colts
were without center
Jeff Saturday and guard Tupe Peko because of injuries...Houston
linebacker
Troy Evans left the game in the first half with
a sprained left ankle.
Final Score: Seattle 27, Minnesota 23
Minneapolis, MN (Wager On Football - NFL
Wagering) - Matt Hasselbeck threw for 334
yards and
three first-half touchdowns and Seattle forced two
Minnesota turnovers in
the fourth quarter to preserve a 27-23 victory between
two struggling
playoff contenders at the Metrodome.
Hasselbeck completed 23-of-34 passes and was intercepted
twice, while
Darrell Jackson had 10 catches for 135 yards and
a score, as Seattle (7-6)
snapped a two-game losing streak and rebounded from
Monday's last-second
home defeat to Dallas. Shaun Alexander ran 27 times
for 112 yards and also
hauled in a touchdown for the Seahawks, who began
the day tied with St.
Louis for the NFC West lead.
Daunte Culpepper had 270 yards on 21-of-33 attempts
along with a touchdown
for the slumping Vikings (7-6), who have dropped
five of seven after a 5-1
start.
Randy Moss had four receptions for 104 yards and
a score, but had a pass
picked off by Michael Boulware in the end zone on
a trick play with 2:09
left in the game.
Onterrio Smith rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown
in the loss.
Seattle was clinging to a 24-23 lead with under
seven minutes remaining when
Culpepper and Smith botched a handoff which Seahawks
lineman Rashad Moore
recoved at the Vikings' 26-yard line. The turnover
was converted into Josh
Brown's 28-yard field goal which extended the margin
to four points with
3:40 to go.
Minnesota moved to the Seattle 20-yard line on
the following possession, but
Moss' heave for Marcus Robinson was snared by Boulware
to thwart the scoring
chance.
Seattle led 21-20 at the conclusion of an explosive
first half, but the
teams combined for just three field goals thereafter.
The Vikings put up points on their first two possessions
to take a 10-0 lead
with still more than three minutes to go in the
opening period.
Smith carried five times for 32 yards on Minnesota's
initial drive and the
Vikings got to the Seattle 35-yard line before deciding
to punt. However,
the Seahawks were called for having 12 men on the
field, and the penalty led
to Morten Andersen's 48-yard field goal try. The
44-year-old made good on
the attempt to put the hosts on top less than five
minutes in.
The Seahawks also got into field-goal range on
their first series but Jeff
Brown pulled a 38-yard attempt wide left. Marcus
Trufant was flagged for
pass interference on the next play to put the Vikings
into enemy territory.
The call sparked a six play, 72-yard march capped
by Smith's five-yard burst
across the goal line for a 10-0 advantage with 3:42
to play in the opening
period.
Seattle answered less than three minutes later
when Hasselbeck hooked up
with Bobby Engram for a 35-yard touchdown late in
the first quarter, then
put together another long scoring drive to forge
ahead.
Engram finished with 79 yards on four catches.
After forcing a quick punt, Hasselbeck made good
on four consecutive throws,
including a 36-yard connection with Ryan Hannam
which put the ball on the
Minnesota 12. Alexander caught a pass out of the
flat on the following play
and raced into the end zone to put Seattle up 14-10
with 12:13 remaining
before intermission.
The Vikings responded with a 54-yard strike from
Culpepper to Moss on the
next play from scrimmage, which set up Andersen's
32-yard field goal that
cut the deficit to a single point.
Hasselbeck was then intercepted by Brian Williams
near midfield to give the
Vikings an opportunity to reclaim the lead. A 16-yard
scramble by Culpepper
and a 15-yard scamper by Smith got Minnesota inside
the Seattle 20.
Culpepper later ran two yards to the Seahawks' nine
on 3rd-and-1 and found
Moss in the left corner of the end zone from three
yards out on 3rd-and-goal
for a 20-14 advantage with 5:06 left in the second
quarter.
It took Seattle just five plays and two minutes
to move back in front. After
consecutive completions to Jackson and Engram put
the visitors on the
Vikings' 19-yard line, Hasselbeck hit a wide open
Jackson at the 3:05 mark
for his third TD pass of the half, giving the Seahawks
a 21-20 edge heading
into the break.
Another Hasselbeck pick, this one by Brian Russell
on the opening drive of
the second half, helped give Minnesota the lead
back. He returned the
interception 41 yards to the Seattle 14, but the
offense sputtered and the
Vikings settled for Andersen's third field-goal
of the day, a 31-yarder
which staked Minnesota to a 23-21 cushion less than
three minutes into the
third quarter.
Hasselbeck then moved the Seahawks downfield by
firing a 20-yard strike to
Jackson and a 17-yarder to Jerry Rice which put
the ball on the Vikings' 15.
Seattle got inside the 10-yard line, but Lance Johnstone
brought down
Alexander for a seven-yard loss on third down to
force a 33-yard field goal
by Brown. The kick put Seattle ahead 24-23 with
6:42 to go in the third.
After Culpepper's fumble helped the Seahawks extended
the lead to four,
Minnesota got back into scoring range via a 33-yard
pass interference
penalty on Marquand Manuel on the Seattle 31-yard
line. Michael Bennett then
burst for 11 yards before Moss took a handoff, rolled
right and heaved a
pass into the end zone. Boulware stepped in front
of Robinson for his fifth
pick of the season, tops among all rookies this
year.
The Vikings got the ball back with 44 seconds to
play and one final chance
to pull out the win. A 21-yard pass to Jermaine
Wiggins and a 36-yard
connection to Moss put the ball on the Seahawks'
28 with four seconds on the
clock. Culpepper appeared to be sacked by Antonio
Cochran on the final play,
but was not ruled down and tossed a desperation
pass into the end zone which
Wiggins couldn't bring in.
Game Notes
Jackson eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in a season
for the third time in his
career...Moss tied Cris Carter's club record with
his 40th 100-yard
receiving effort...Seattle now leads the series
6-3 and avenged a 34-7 loss
to the Vikings in the Metrodome last December...Seahawks
head coach Mike
Holmgren improved to 6-10 lifetime against Minnesota...Vikings
head coach
Mike Tice spent 10 seasons of his 14-year playing
career with Seattle.
